da doce： The Premier League’s midweek action starts under the Goodison Park floodlights when Everton play hosts to Arsenal at 7.45pm tonight.
da betcris： It’s not been a great campaign for the Toffees despite the optimism surrounding Ronald Koeman’s arrival during the summer, with the Merseyside club failing to win in their last five and suffering three defeats in the process.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are quietly going about their business whilst the rest of the Premier League’s title chasers steal the limelight, sneaking into second place with a 3-1 win over Stoke City on Saturday.
Everton’s record against Arsenal isn’t the best either, winning just one and drawing one of their last six meetings with the Gunners. But Koeman claimed three victories against the north Londoners from a possible five during his time at Southampton manager, so there’s hope yet for the Toffees.
In fact, high-intensity evening games often come down to which side dominates the key individual battles. With that in mind, FootballFanCast have looked at FOUR that will decide where this game is lost and won.
Leighton Baines vs. Hector Bellerin
They say full-back is among the most important positions on the pitch nowadays and Everton and Arsenal have some of the best in the business in Leighton Baines and Hector Bellerin respectively.
Baines may not be the force he was a few years ago and injuries have affected his form this season, but the Toffees veteran still possesses a killer left foot that will cause damage if he’s given time to put deliveries into the box.
Bellerin, meanwhile, is much more of a dynamic full-back – capable of breaking into space behind opposition defences on the overlap or providing the width to allow Theo Walcott to tuck in alongside Alexis Sanchez.
Of course, both will be predominantly concerned with stopping the opposition winger on Tuesday night. But this battle depends on which full-back makes the biggest attacking contribution, with both more than capable of affecting the scoreline.
Alexis Sanchez vs. Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams
On paper, veteran centre-backs Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams should be one of the most solid defensive partnerships in the Premier League, but it’s just not happened for the duo since the latter arrived from Swansea City during the summer.
Accordingly, Toffees fans will naturally be concerned with how they’ll fare against Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, who has been borderline world-class since being moved into the central striking role by Arsene Wenger at the start of the season.
Indeed, the Chile international has notched up eleven goals and five assists already this term, including a hat-trick against West Ham, and no defence has really found a solution to his relentless movement around the final third.
That doesn’t bode well for Jagielka and Williams’ ageing legs, so the Everton pair will require added protection from all angles.
Mesut Ozil vs. Idrissa Gueye
Idrissa Gueye was being hailed as one of the signings of the season not too long ago and although there hasn’t been a huge dip in his performance levels, the tenacity he provides in central midfield is no longer translating into positive Everton results.
Nonetheless, the statistics are hard to argue with and the 27-year-old has averaged the most tackles-per-match of any Premier League player this term, a staggering 4.9, alongside two interceptions and a pass completion rate of 86%.
In theory, that makes him a pretty good antidote to Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil, but it’s not the German international’s creativity that’s causing problems at the moment.
Indeed, the attacking midfielder appears far more focused on finding the net this season, bagging nine goals across all competitions already. Another ghosting run saw him score past Stoke City on Saturday and that’s what Gueye must be most wary of – movement beyond Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams.
Romelu Lukaku vs. Laurent Koscielny
Following a four-game drought, Romelu Lukaku got back to scoring ways last weekend with a brace against Watford, netting the opening and the closing goal in a 3-2 defeat at Vicarage Road.
Overall, the Belgium international is enjoying another impressive season, ranking fourth throughout the Premier League’s scoring charts with nine goals in 13 starts, and his record against the Gunners is nothing to be sniffed at either, notching up two goals and three assists in ten outings versus the north Londoners.
There’s something more solid about Arsene Wenger’s side this term, particularly with Shkodran Mustafi in the starting line-up. But with the Germany international potentially absent for this clash, the task of stopping Lukaku will fall to his partner, Laurent Koscielny.
The Frenchman is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, if not Europe, but could struggle to match Lukaku’s natural power and threat in the air.